Three years ago, Reid Schar was leading the successful federal prosecution of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich in one of the most closely watched political corruption trials in recent memory.

On Wednesday, the highly regarded former federal prosecutor who is now a private attorney, was appointed special counsel to state lawmakers investigating whether Governor Christie’s top advisers orchestrated or covered up vindictive lane closures near the George Washington Bridge.

The selection of Schar — described by both colleagues and professional adversaries as meticulous and experienced — to aid the panel signaled the increasing stakes for those caught up in the scandal, including former Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Kelly, who sent the now-infamous message to a Port Authority executive: “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.”

His selection came on the same day that members of the Assembly investigative panel were announced and on the eve of several other expected developments, including another round of subpoenas expected to go out as early as today. With pressure mounting, Christie’s former campaign manager Bill Stepien hired an attorney. And the Port Authority’s chairman and close Christie adviser David Samson — one of several Christie loyalists who surfaced in thousands of bridge-related documents released last week — told The Record that he has no plans to immediately step down, as speculation about his future plans whirled.

But the most significant step was the appointment of Schar to an advisory position that has been occupied in the past by figures who became central to unraveling political scandals — the most prominent of whom was New Jersey native Sam Dash, the chief counsel for the U.S. Senate committee that investigated Watergate.

A former colleague in the Illinois U.S. Attorney’s Office called Schar “the real deal.”

“If you talk to anyone he’s worked with, as well as defense lawyers, I think they’d agree that Reid is a brilliant lawyer and an extremely thorough investigator,” said former federal prosecutor Jeff Cramer, who worked with Schar for a decade in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Illinois.

Schar, the antithesis of a flashy and dramatic litigator, nevertheless notched a series of memorable convictions while he was an assistant U.S. attorney under Patrick Fitzgerald. He is perhaps best known for his prosecution of Blagojevich, during which he delivered a straightforward question that was later seen as a turning point in the jury trial of the bombastic former governor: “Mr. Blagojevich, you are a convicted liar, correct?”

That was at the second of two trials of Blagojevich — the first resulted in a conviction for making false statements to the FBI but a hung jury on the remaining corruption charges. The second trial ended with a 14-year prison sentence. Schar also led the prosecution of Blagojevich’s chief fund­raiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko and prosecuted a complex money-laundering case that involved the financing of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Neither Schar, who now is a partner at the Chicago law firm Jenner & Block and specializes in white-collar criminal defense and internal investigations, nor the Assembly panel investigating the closures has the power to prosecute anyone. But the 12-member committee will have the authority to issue subpoenas compelling people to turn over documents and to testify under oath. The formal creation of the committee and the vote giving it subpoena power are expected today. Its first round of subpoenas are also likely to go out by the end of the week, and are expected to target documents from Kelly and Stepien. Others could also receive subpoenas for documents, Assemblyman John Wisniewski said Wednesday, declining to identify them.

Wisniewski will continue to question people called to testify, he said, while Schar will help the committee navigate the thicket of inquiries that have been launched, making sure not to improperly intrude on reviews by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey, the Port Authority inspector general, a state Senate panel and a U.S. Senate committee. Christie’s office on Wednesday referred to the governor’s previous comment that it would cooperate “with all appropriate inquiries to ensure this breach of trust does not happen again.”

The Assembly is paying for Schar’s advice. Wisniewski said he did not know how much, but that it was less than his firm’s standard hourly rate.

“Reid brings a lot of experience in dealing with complicated investigations like this, and so his counsel will help make sure that we’re not making any mistakes,” said Wisniewski, who is leading the Assembly investigation.

The individuals selected for the committee were chosen for their legal and investigatory backgrounds.

“I am confident these talented legislators have the backgrounds, temperaments and experience to conduct this inquiry in a bipartisan, professional and responsible manner,” said newly sworn Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, D-Secaucus, in a statement.

The Senate is also expected to announce its own committee to investigate the September lane closures and to begin its own investigation.

Aaron Goldstein, a Chicago attorney who represented Blagojevich, said Schar was intelligent and well-prepared.

“Mr. Schar was aggressive, and he was very detail oriented,” Goldstein said. “And he was on top of everything. There definitely were no mistakes or miscues.”

He added: “I’m pretty confident that if there is something to come out, Reid Schar will find it.”

One of the inquiry’s primary subjects will be Stepien, whom Christie cut ties with last week after thousands of documents showed the governor’s office was in regular contact with the Port Authority executives who carried out the disruptive lane closings. Stepien’s attorney, Kevin Marino, declined to comment on Wednesday. It’s unclear if Kelly has hired an attorney.

Christie’s inner circle and advisers have found themselves the subject of around-the-clock national newscasts, late-night jabs by comedians and speculation about their involvement and their futures.

Most have remained silent, but a key figure who leads the Port Authority for Christie – David Samson — said Wednesday that he plans to stay put, at least for now.

“I have no plans to immediately resign,” Samson, chairman of the Port Authority’s Board of Commissioners, said during a brief phone interview.

Samson, 74, has not yet publicly addressed his appearance in thousands of documents released last week that have prompted questions about how much the Christie administration knew about the real reason behind the lane closures. And he declined to do so again on Wednesday, only addressing speculation that he is the next Christie loyalist to go.

There is little doubt that the scandal is shining a harsh light on Samson, a former New Jersey attorney general who leads a well-connected law firm, Wolff & Samson. He has said in a public statement, issued after emails recently surfaced, that he knew nothing about the five days of lane closures before the Port Authority’s executive director sent out an angry email reversing them on Sept. 13.

The documents show that he was concerned that the executive director, Pat Foye, leaked that e­mail to the media. The documents supplied by David Wildstein, one of the Port Authority executives who resigned, also include communications about an Aug. 23 meeting attended by the governor and Samson a week before the lane closures.

On that day, Christie and Samson met with the chief executive officer of United Airlines, Jeff Smisek, to discuss the airline’s operations in Newark and Atlantic City, according to a spokesman for the airline.

Democrats had seized on the document about the meeting because it was supplied by Wildstein in response to a subpoena for records related to the lane closings.

Three years ago, Reid Schar was leading the successful federal prosecution of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich in one of the most closely watched political corruption trials in recent memory.

On Wednesday, the highly regarded former federal prosecutor who is now a private attorney, was appointed special counsel to state lawmakers investigating whether Governor Christie’s top advisers orchestrated or covered up vindictive lane closures near the George Washington Bridge.

The selection of Schar — described by both colleagues and professional adversaries as meticulous and experienced — to aid the panel signaled the increasing stakes for those caught up in the scandal, including former Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Kelly, who sent the now-infamous message to a Port Authority executive: “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.”

His selection came on the same day that members of the Assembly investigative panel were announced and on the eve of several other expected developments, including another round of subpoenas expected to go out as early as today. With pressure mounting, Christie’s former campaign manager Bill Stepien hired an attorney. And the Port Authority’s chairman and close Christie adviser David Samson — one of several Christie loyalists who surfaced in thousands of bridge-related documents released last week — told The Record that he has no plans to immediately step down, as speculation about his future plans whirled.

But the most significant step was the appointment of Schar to an advisory position that has been occupied in the past by figures who became central to unraveling political scandals — the most prominent of whom was New Jersey native Sam Dash, the chief counsel for the U.S. Senate committee that investigated Watergate.

A former colleague in the Illinois U.S. Attorney’s Office called Schar “the real deal.”

“If you talk to anyone he’s worked with, as well as defense lawyers, I think they’d agree that Reid is a brilliant lawyer and an extremely thorough investigator,” said former federal prosecutor Jeff Cramer, who worked with Schar for a decade in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Illinois.

Schar, the antithesis of a flashy and dramatic litigator, nevertheless notched a series of memorable convictions while he was an assistant U.S. attorney under Patrick Fitzgerald. He is perhaps best known for his prosecution of Blagojevich, during which he delivered a straightforward question that was later seen as a turning point in the jury trial of the bombastic former governor: “Mr. Blagojevich, you are a convicted liar, correct?”

That was at the second of two trials of Blagojevich — the first resulted in a conviction for making false statements to the FBI but a hung jury on the remaining corruption charges. The second trial ended with a 14-year prison sentence. Schar also led the prosecution of Blagojevich’s chief fund­raiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko and prosecuted a complex money-laundering case that involved the financing of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Neither Schar, who now is a partner at the Chicago law firm Jenner & Block and specializes in white-collar criminal defense and internal investigations, nor the Assembly panel investigating the closures has the power to prosecute anyone. But the 12-member committee will have the authority to issue subpoenas compelling people to turn over documents and to testify under oath. The formal creation of the committee and the vote giving it subpoena power are expected today. Its first round of subpoenas are also likely to go out by the end of the week, and are expected to target documents from Kelly and Stepien. Others could also receive subpoenas for documents, Assemblyman John Wisniewski said Wednesday, declining to identify them.

Wisniewski will continue to question people called to testify, he said, while Schar will help the committee navigate the thicket of inquiries that have been launched, making sure not to improperly intrude on reviews by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey, the Port Authority inspector general, a state Senate panel and a U.S. Senate committee. Christie’s office on Wednesday referred to the governor’s previous comment that it would cooperate “with all appropriate inquiries to ensure this breach of trust does not happen again.”

The Assembly is paying for Schar’s advice. Wisniewski said he did not know how much, but that it was less than his firm’s standard hourly rate.

“Reid brings a lot of experience in dealing with complicated investigations like this, and so his counsel will help make sure that we’re not making any mistakes,” said Wisniewski, who is leading the Assembly investigation.

The individuals selected for the committee were chosen for their legal and investigatory backgrounds.

“I am confident these talented legislators have the backgrounds, temperaments and experience to conduct this inquiry in a bipartisan, professional and responsible manner,” said newly sworn Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, D-Secaucus, in a statement.

The Senate is also expected to announce its own committee to investigate the September lane closures and to begin its own investigation.

Aaron Goldstein, a Chicago attorney who represented Blagojevich, said Schar was intelligent and well-prepared.

“Mr. Schar was aggressive, and he was very detail oriented,” Goldstein said. “And he was on top of everything. There definitely were no mistakes or miscues.”

He added: “I’m pretty confident that if there is something to come out, Reid Schar will find it.”

One of the inquiry’s primary subjects will be Stepien, whom Christie cut ties with last week after thousands of documents showed the governor’s office was in regular contact with the Port Authority executives who carried out the disruptive lane closings. Stepien’s attorney, Kevin Marino, declined to comment on Wednesday. It’s unclear if Kelly has hired an attorney.

Christie’s inner circle and advisers have found themselves the subject of around-the-clock national newscasts, late-night jabs by comedians and speculation about their involvement and their futures.

Most have remained silent, but a key figure who leads the Port Authority for Christie – David Samson — said Wednesday that he plans to stay put, at least for now.

“I have no plans to immediately resign,” Samson, chairman of the Port Authority’s Board of Commissioners, said during a brief phone interview.

Samson, 74, has not yet publicly addressed his appearance in thousands of documents released last week that have prompted questions about how much the Christie administration knew about the real reason behind the lane closures. And he declined to do so again on Wednesday, only addressing speculation that he is the next Christie loyalist to go.

There is little doubt that the scandal is shining a harsh light on Samson, a former New Jersey attorney general who leads a well-connected law firm, Wolff & Samson. He has said in a public statement, issued after emails recently surfaced, that he knew nothing about the five days of lane closures before the Port Authority’s executive director sent out an angry email reversing them on Sept. 13.

The documents show that he was concerned that the executive director, Pat Foye, leaked that e­mail to the media. The documents supplied by David Wildstein, one of the Port Authority executives who resigned, also include communications about an Aug. 23 meeting attended by the governor and Samson a week before the lane closures.

On that day, Christie and Samson met with the chief executive officer of United Airlines, Jeff Smisek, to discuss the airline’s operations in Newark and Atlantic City, according to a spokesman for the airline.

Democrats had seized on the document about the meeting because it was supplied by Wildstein in response to a subpoena for records related to the lane closings.